Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his supporters are staging a dharna in Assam after he was denied permission to visit the Sri Sri Sankar Dev Satra temple in Bordua. The temple trust has reportedly asked to visit at 3pm, after pran pratishtha ceremony at Ram temple in Ayodhya is over.
The former Congress chief was scheduled to pay obeisance to the local deity before starting his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on Monday. Mahila Congress leaders subsequently sat on a dharna to protest against the denial of permission to Gandhi to visit the temple. The former Congress chief also joined the dharna.
Rahul Gandhi questioned the police on why he was being stopped from visiting the temple. "Will PM Modi now decide who will visit a temple and when," Gandhi said. In a video, Rahul Gandhi was seen questioning a security official, “What is the issue brother? Can I go and see the barricades? What mistake have I done that I am not allowed inside the temple?", PTI reported. Gandhi said they are not interested in creating any issues but simply pray at the temple.
Barring the local MP and MLA, no Congress leader was allowed to travel beyond Haiboragaon, around 20km from the temple spot. Even the media team was not allowed to travel beyond Haiboragaon.
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate said, “Going to a temple can be anyone's matter of faith. Himanta-led government is hindering the faith (of Rahul Gandhi). We wanted to go to the shrine (birthplace of saint Srimanta Sankardeva) peacefully. They have always tried to be a middleman between us and our God.”
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had on Sunday urged Rahul Gandhi not to visit the temple during the ceremony to avoid competition between Lord Ram and the medieval-age Vaishnav saint.
Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal tweeted, “Today the BJP stopped Rahulji from going to Batadrava Satra, despite prior permission. We have entered a new phase of democracy where the BJP will decide who should go to a temple and at what time. This dictatorial regime must realise that its days are numbered. People of India will not allow such authoritarianism. We will not budge till we are allowed to bow before Sri Sri Srimanta Sankardeva.”
-with PTI inputs.
